Jays Exercise Encarnacion’s Option, Decline Rauch’s

The Blue Jays announced that they exercised their 2012 option for Edwin Encarnacion and declined their option for Jon Rauch. Encarnacion obtains a $3.5MM salary instead of a $500K buyout and Rauch obtains a $250K buyout instead of a $3.75MM salary.

Encarnacion, 28, posted a .272/.334/.453 line and hit 17 home runs in 2011. I explained at the beginning of September that the Blue Jays were likely to pick up his option because of his strong final four months.

Rauch, 33, posted a 4.85 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 52 innings for Toronto in 2011, finishing the season on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee cartilage tear. Although he is a Type B free agent, an offer of arbitration from the Blue Jays seems unlikely.

Cause he’s an average player, and that doesn’t pass in this division. It’s the same every year with injuries and terrible starts to the season. He turns it up at the end of the season so he can get a contract. And his D is beyond terrible.

No team has premium high ceiling talent at every position, even the yankees have some average players on their roster, cardinals have a lot of them , so did the giants last year.

EE is first and for most a cheap option that even if the team were to improve at any of the position he would play, namely DH, he is still an affordable bench piece. There is nothing wrong with picking up his option, and I didn’t even mention that before Lawrie came up he was our 2nd best bat for half of the year.

Ya, like I mean EE running out of time to follow through on potential.. He’s not going to be a cornerstone of the team.. but for 3.5 million, with what he showed last year, I don’t see why you wouldn’t for that price..

If his option was for 10 million, it would prob be a different situation

If it’s so easy why haven’t they made the playoffs in almost 20 years? The Jays fill the rosters with average players every year that’s why they haven’t played a meaningful game since 1993, if your happy with that and enjoy losing so be it.

Because it’s the AL East…you can’t get by with an entire roster filled with average guys. The Jays have put together a great offensive team the past couple of years. This squashes any David Ortiz to TOR rumor pretty much. Now they can focus on getting a front of the rotation starter and improving their bullpen.

As for 2nd Base, it seems like Kelly Johnson will most likely accept arbitration.

The Jays still had the 4th best offence in the whole league even with Rasmus, Hill/Johnson, Rivera struggling, and having 3 rookies (Arencibia, Lawrie, Thames), two people playing new positions for most of the season (Lind, and Lawrie) that they never played before in their careers. The offence was not a problem and it has never been a problem, every team has average to below average players (Yankees-Posada & Swisher- whos making 10 million for putting up a bit more offence than EE at 7 million more, RedSox- Youkills-who puts up around the same numbers as EE at 4times the price, Rays-Well most of that offence (not trying to affend the Rays they are a great team)).

EE didnt look bad at first at all. In a choice between Ortiz or Lind at DH, Ortiz wins every time. Cooper comes in as a back up for Encarnacion and an occasional DH

If by chance Kelly Johnson brings in a 1st round pick, jays would have replaced the pick the lost by Signing Ortiz.
At the end of the day, the guy hitting behind Bautista has to have respect. Pitchers dont respect Lind, and unless that spot is looked after Bautista’s significance in the lineup will suffer

There is also the possibility that Rauch hates Toronto. Maybe he doesnt want to be here anyways. I have to believe that Rauch, though he may not be worth 3.5 mil a year, is still attractive enough to get a 2.5-3 mil a year deal elsewhere

Reason number one for leaving Encarnacion at DH and NOT on the field. .236, 0 home runs, 23 RBI’s from April until July 1st. Encarnacion was then told to start producing or get DFA’d. He accepted the advice and after the all star break, he was primarily DH, hit 17 home runs and built up his batting average and offensive line. If he has to play the field, his offense will resemble the first half again and 400,000 would be too much. In 2010, Encarnacion put up his offense on four weekends and he was invisible the other six months of the season. In 2011, he was invisible the first 3 months and then played to ensure he had a job in 2012. With the shortage of 3rd basemen this off season, I expect him to be traded in a package for either a 2nd baseman or front-line starter. His value is a trade chip.